Catwoman, Unleashed
by Superkaradamnvers
Summary: Cat gets blackmailed, and has to do anything for the safety of her son, otherwise he shall die. She has to do whatever X decides, even if that's theft or more. This is a chess game, and now it's the Queen against the King. The only questions in this game are who's stronger, and what lengths a Queen will go to, for her rook. This is Cat Grant, as Catwoman.
1. A Cougar on the Prowl

It had been a long, tiring day. Even Kara, her ever capable assistant, her saving grace, her guardian angel, had already gone home after Cat's insistence. Kara, the impeccable one that would come over at 2 am to help with a blackout if Cat as much as flicked a finger. Even she, was gone by now.

After several attempts at trying to save the latest issue of the magazine, one day to airing it, and working well past 10pm to get it finished, Cat finally had insisted the girl go home. She needed rest. Even Cat knew that. If she wanted Kara perky and peppy for the gala in two days, she needed the girl calm and happy to work and prepare it. And that meant she needed Kara rested too. So home was the word, and Kara, reluctantly did leave, after Cat pressed her to.

Cat herself, walked through the office once more, flicking through the finally finished magazine, proud of the results. Hard work paid off, and now it certainly had done just so. Cat smiled as she touched fingertips to the glossy cover, and went into her office to grab her purse and jacket, ready to leave for the night.

Only when Cat had her Jacket on, and her purse in hand, did Cat see the letter on her balcony chair, slipped barely between cushions. Cat stopped, and looked around, before going out to get to it, thinking Kara must have forgot it or forgotten to put one of the Manila envelopes for the party away. Something of that nature.

Cat picked it up and looked it over, before opening it when she realized it was more than a simple envelope. The words inside on the paper, tough expensive card stock no less, and eloquent handwriting, made Cat gasp in confusion, and soon, fear.

—Catherine Grant, Queen Of All Media

I don't really have much of a name, but you will call me X. As of tonight, I have your son. Carter is it? You're precious baby boy. He's somewhere where you can't find him, so if you want to see him ever again you will follow my instructions very carefully.

Now if you tell anyone about this, I will kill him. Immediately. But don't worry he's alive, FOR NOW! If you want he to stay that way, you'll help me out with that, and I'll return your precious little boy. I need something from a certain person named Steve Perasi. He's hurt me in the past. If you want your son alive, and safe, you're going to steal this thing for me. You know Steve, yeah, that Steve. You're employee Steve. I want a very special diamond set he owns, and I want it by midnight. I don't care how you get it done, just get it to me.

Just get me the jewels, and you're son will return to you alive at least. You have until midnight tonight, the clock is ticking. If I were you, I'd hurry. You don't want me to get bored, I have to find something to do with this knife.

—X

The first thing Cat did was reach for her phone. Call someone. The cops. Kara. Anyone would do right now. The second Cat did that, her iPad beeped with a new email. Cat looked up, and stopped. That, was too convenient. Too convenient not to check.

Cat opened her inbox and stopped dead.

—I wouldn't do that if I were you. My knife is getting sharper, and your time is running out. Tik tok, Cat Grant. —X

Cat stared at the email for a full minute, mentally calculating in her head, then left quickly, deciding she had to go. There was no way around this. She had an hour. Barely. She had to go now. Obviously she was being watched.

The only thing that would work, would be some type of clothing that would hide her identity. Out of everything she owned, she couldn't think of much. Except the outfit she'd worn to Carter's last comic con. It felt kind of ironic, to go get her son back in the outfit he'd chosen for her for that event. But this wasn't the time to dwell on that. Cat needed to act fast, if she wanted her son alive and safe.

Her poor little boy. Her precious angel. Cat pulled on the suit and fixed her hair as she grabbed the mask that went with it, grateful that it was an actually well put together version, and fit her beautifully. This... might actually work, Cat thought, and left. She had to hurry. And quickly.

The next morning Kara watched the news with her sister as she got ready for work, and came up to watch as the news said something about a vigilante caught on camera, a blurred image, a barely there figure in the haze.

"What's this?" Kara asked, and joined Alex, who was staring at the TV with her mouth wide open.

"I... don't quite know." Alex said, and Kara squinted at the image on her flatscreen. Leather. Suit. Mask. Clearly a female form.

"We don't know much about her, from the images we have to work off of, but she seems about five foot six, or so, and is clearly fit. We can't tell an age, or anything, but her hair seems to be a light blonde, and slightly wavy, just past her shoulders. According to info we have on record, she matches reports of Gotham's Catwoman, and we're questioning the possibility. Either way around it, it looks like we have a cougar in National City, and right now, after a reported heist earlier in the night, we figure this wildcat is out for blood."


	2. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

The Previous Night

Cat Grant hadn't ever picked a lock in her life. And suddenly she was grateful for her Catwoman suit, which had convenient sharp claws like knives, you could say. Which seemed perfect for picking locks, so it seemed, Cat realized, as the lock clicked open and the door slid slightly.

Slipping her claws into the slit in the door, leaving claw marks in the glass, Cat slid it open quietly and closed the glass behind her, then turned to look around the living room and vast kitchen of Steve's beach house. He was clearly a vastly rich man, much like Cat herself, and Cat could only be grateful that she knew her way around such big houses. That they usually had secret staircases or extra doorways.

This would be much the same, Cat figured.

The layout wasn't like her own, but she'd been here before, for a corporate party Steve had hosted. She hadn't been through the whole home, but she'd seen the main floor, and the powder room upstairs. When she was here, she'd never seen anything close to diamonds, Cat thought immediately, and stopped to look around quietly, scanning the room for changes.

A few knickknacks had moved, but not much besides that. Cat brushed a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear, and swept a hand up to her knot of now straightened hair, checking that it was holding properly, and then fixed the edge of her mask, pulling the tipped edge just past her cheek, before focusing back on the room. 8 diamonds. The whole rainbow.

Red. Orange. Gold. Green. Blue. Pink. Black. And White. The entire set.

Cat walked slowly, making sure her two inch block heels didn't click on the hardwood flooring, and made her way from the main living area towards the kitchen, and through the dining area, eventually deciding there wasn't anything worthy downstairs. Nothing had changed, and after a 4 hour party here, Cat was fairly certain that there wouldn't be any rare diamond collection down here.

Yes it was worth checking, but Cat was also running quickly out of time, and so she went up, figuring upstairs was far more likely in terms of finding expensive diamonds. Somewhere safe. And Cat remembered now, as she stopped at the top of the stairs, there was a room two doors off the powder room that was locked, and simply smelled expensive.

Cat looked back and forth, and stopped, squinting at the slightly ajar door on the end of the hallway. Stepping slightly closer, Cat peeked through, and noticed the mirror off the edge of the wall. Which reflected the bed. Stepping closer Cat saw he was asleep, soundly snoring.

Stepping back, Cat turned and stepped toward a closed door, and closed her hand on the doorknob, before slipping it open and stepping inside slowly.

It only took her a moment before deciding that what she was after wasn't in here. A few drawers opened carefully and checked revealed papers and files, among some fabrics and clothing, and technology. Not exactly the best diamond hiding space. After doing something similar to two rooms, Cat slipped toward the bedroom, figuring there was no way around checking the bedroom. It wasn't as if Cat could take any chances.

Going in was the easy part. Making no noise was the hard part. The nearly impossible part.

Cat slipped in, and placed the door back to its leaning position so if he did wake up he wouldn't be suspicious of anything. He seemed to be in a deep sleep so cat slowly snuck around the bed to the night stand trying not to make a noise, keeping a close eye on his breathing. She didn't want him waking up now. She just got to the night stand, she slowly bent forward and reached for the dresser drawer while he was sleeping inches away. Cat tried opening it but it was sticky and could not be opened quietly, she managed to open it and he started to stir, he could wake up any second.

He fell back asleep, so she started to continue to open it slowly, "almost there I got this" she thought looking at the half open drawer.

"What do you think your doing" He asked, his voice rumpled from sleep.

'Oh shit!' She thought stopping in her tracks.

"Oh you naughty girl, I like it when your frisky."

"You like that don't you sir?" She said slowly after a moment, playing on a hunch.

"Oh Lucy." He moaned, and slowly rolled over.

"Oh god." She said softly with a sigh of relief, taking a slow breath.

"Yes, that's right.

She took a deep breath before opening the drawer to more inches and peaking inside to see it was only a watch, knife and Advil. " not what I'm looking for but that's a sweet knife." She thought taking the knife and getting the hell out of there. She stopped in the hall way looking around for what room it could be in, she noticed the room looked different from the others. She started to walk towards that off looking room to doors down.

Cat's breath stopped. There it was. Standing dead centre in the middle of the room. On its own separate pedestal. A book sized case, glass, and clearly crystal. And stupidly expensive. Leaving the door slightly ajar behind her, Cat slowly, silently crept up to the case and looked over it. There they were. 8 gorgeous, stunning diamonds.

Insanely stunning, and just as expensive. Cat had to stare for a few seconds, before looking around the room for anything fishy. Lasers, cameras, recorders, traps. Not seeing anything, Cat looked over the pedestal slowly, and then reached her hand towards the case, bringing her clawed fingertips to the edge, and the lid, and stopped dead.

Cat stepped back, catching the shimmering just out of the corner of her eye. Lasers. Practically invisible but there nonetheless. But there wasn't time. Even for her. There was no warning. At least not to her.

Alarms went off through the house, blaring loud enough the whole neighborhood would hear this. Thinking way too quickly, Cat did the only thing she could possibly consider to do. She grabbed for the diamonds, grasping a handful and running. She was two rooms from the bedroom. If she stayed a second longer, he'd be in there with her. Cat grabbed and went, and ran for the stairs, not caring about the sound of her loud footfalls and the face of the alarm system going on the fritz.

Just as Cat hit the base of the stairs, she heard loud footfalls and Steve loudly muttering a confused curse among something else at the top of the stairs, and then turning towards her. Shit. Cat did the only thing she could and ran, and hid the only place she could, with seconds to spare. She wouldn't make it outside in time. Cat slipped to the wall and into a slightly opened door, and closed it behind her. It fit flush with the wall, and Cat held her breath, swallowing thickly, and tried to take slow breaths to calm her erratically beating heart.

Cat swallowed and looked at the diamonds in her hands, barely there light from the moon through a small window. 5. She had five. Shit.

She had to go back, but how. Cat out her hand to the door handle, and heard him stop literally in the other side of the door. Cat stopped, and took her hand slowly off the door, and brought it to her lips instead. Holy fuck. Literally inches from the man. Cat didn't breathe, didn't blink. Just waited. And then her phone vibrated.

Ever so quietly Cat reached for her phone and looked. Timer. 20 minutes. Fuck.

Cat brought her hand back to her faced and squeezed her eyes shut, literally praying for him to move away into another room. Her son's life depended on twenty minutes. Good god. At this rate Cat would have a heart attack before the night was over.

Taking a very slow breath, Cat looked at the 5 diamonds in her palm and looked at her suit. Leather. Bodytight. No damn pockets besides the one for her phone. And that was tight already. There was no give. Hmm... Cat thought, then shrugged quietly and slipped them into her suit and to her bra. Welp, there wasn't exactly another option available, Cat reasoned.

It took a moment more, and then he moved off and Cat listened quietly until his footfalls were far enough into a neighboring room, and then vanished entirely. Cat sighed and slipped her hand to the door, and slipped it barely open, and peeked out. Clear. Silence. Cat slipped out and quickly but silently walked to the stairs and broke dit back up the stairs, and straight back to that room, finding the diamond case still there and open, three diamonds carefully still set in place.

Stepping up Cat quickly took the last 3 and closed the case after slipping them into her suit as well. Safe. Perfect. She was done.

Cat sighed and am]lost smiled barely, and then gasped. Footsteps. And then yelling. Cursing. Cat ran. Just plain ran. And ran straight onto the balcony and off the railing, swinging over it without really thinking, and landed barely on the stone ledge below, and swinging herself against the dark wood decorative wall, on the dark side, hoping to god she'd be invisible there.

Cat looked up, and stopped. He was right there. Looking right at her. But seemingly not seeing her. Not breathing, Cat looked at him and then her heart stopped. Shit. One diamond. Sitting right on the ledge underneath him. The dark orange one. Shit shit shit.

Cat watched him silently, and the second he looked away, to the trees and at the pool, Cat looked around for whatever she could think of. How the fuck was she going to get The]at last rock now?

Finding nothing, Cat focused her attention back up, and against the edge of the railing. He leaned against the railing above her, watching the yard, and studying details. He wasn't going anywhere now, knowing she had to be out here.

Thinking furiously, Cat looked at him, and then thought about the wall she was leaning against. Ledges. Indents. Steps. If she did it right.

Shifting her foot, Cat turned slowly, stopping when he looked downwards, and then continuing when he continued his search elsewhere. Holy fuck.

Swallowing thickly, Cat looked to the edge, the ledges, and lifted the tip of her boot, sliding it along the wood barely to find a proper indent, and placed her foot in, and lifted slightly to test the balance. Just enough for hold. Swallowing again, Cat placed her foot and lifted herself up after grasping a ledge for her hand, and pulled herself up.

Bracing herself, Cat looked up and froze. He was literally two feet from her, and staring straight ahead. Holy fucking hell. Cat was not meant for this shit.

Steeling herself, Cat looked at the diamond, and fixed her grasp, then ever so slowly reached up to the diamond. Not quite. A few inches. Stretching, Cat tried again, and silenced her grunt forcefully, and reached, extending her fingers. And her claws. And barely... yes... the tip of her claw nail grazed the edge and it fell past the edge... and right into her hand.

Cat grasped and fell against the wall, her footing giving out beneath her, literally leaving her hanging there with one hand. Gasping, Cat looked up and sighed. He was talking into his phone, with the cops no doubt. Cat sighed and tightened her grasp, her eyes on him.

Her phone vibrated against her hip. 5 minutes. Fuck. No no no no.

Cat breathed and silently begged for him to leave. Her poor boy. Shit shit shit.

Her precious Carter. Cat fought her tears at the idea of where he might be and if he was safe.

Anything. Cat would do anything for her boy.

Looking up, Cat felt her hand weaken. She didn't have long, and tried to fit her foot back on, but couldn't, unable to remember where that was. Fuck. Cat looked at him, and sighed when he finally moved, explaining something to the cop. Something about leather. Damn.

The second he was past the door, Cat dropped and ran, leaping the two last floors to the grass, and landing awkwardly before running across the lawn.

—

Cat stopped after dropping over the fence and down the edge of the cliff, and crawled in behind some rocks on the beach where she was safe. For the moment, at least. She picked up her phone and called X with 2 minutes left to spare.

"Did you got them all?" X asked as soon as he picked up the phone, in a very eager voice.

"Yes all of them just like you wanted, you got what you wanted. Now where's my son?"

"Well now now don't be hasty, I enjoyed watching you. You have skills I can use."

"The deal was I do this one thing for you and you give me back my son unhurt." Cat said, stern and sharp, her voice like knives.

"I have someone who you want back, and you have good skills I can use. So if you want to keep him alive at least you are going to do good jobs for me."

"I did what you wanted, please. He's my son. He's all I've got."

"Now now I make the rules here, so don't piss me off. Or you know what will happen."

"Please don't hurt him I'll do anything. Anything you want."

"I can't promise he won't be hurt but if you want to up his chances you will do what I say.

Now for your next task, you will break in to a celebrity couples mansion, the richest couple in the state of California, in fact, and steal the most expensive item in there. A dress. A $10 million dollar dress, actually."

Cat just stared ahead, shocked. Stunned. And utterly breathless.

"Oh, and now that you're working for me, you shall address me by not X, but rather, Sir. So, Cat, do we have a deal?"

Cat swallowed, her eyes brimming with tears. "Yes. Sir."


	3. Luxe Lifestyle

Chapter 3. The Dress —

Hot latte. Endless files. An article to write. A story to publish. Cat sighed at her desk, thinking about the previous night, and debating what the fuck she was going to do to fix this mess. She couldn't talk to anyone. Somehow he was always watching her, even though Cat had no idea how that was possible. Who was to say he wasn't listening as well?

Cat had considered telling when standing in her office for a morning meeting, but figured she can't take the chance. He son's life depended on her being careful with every move. But there had to be some way for her to contact her son. It couldn't be impossible.

Cat sighed and looked out her balcony, staring at the rising sun and looked at her cat on bullpen, Kara amongst others seemingly busy and blissfully unaware.

Cat also had to consider the day's article. There was no reason for her to avoid a Catwoman article, in fact it was probably already expected. So... to write an article on herself? Well, that would be one for the record books.

Also, Cat debates how tonight would go. To steal a $10 million dress? This was insane compared to the diamonds last night. Cat typed a few stray words to her article, then looked up again and stared at Kara talking amiably to Winn, and saw him check something on his cell, and saw Kara laugh sweetly, then keep walking.

Standing slowly, Cat rounded her desk with a new idea. Risky, but doable. And walked over to Winn's desk. Winn, for his part, looked reasonably nervous around her, as usual, and that, could only help her case now. Fear was good.

"Could I see your phone for one second Winn? Mine is dead."

Winn looked at her curiously and handed it over, and watched curiously while she flicked through it. Cat opened text and quickly flicked to a new message and punched in Carter's number and said a quick "hey how are you?" And as soon as it sent, deleted it. And handed the phone back to Winn.

"Thanks, keep up your work." Cat said coolly and sauntered back to her office, and went back to her desk.

As soon as Cat sat down, her messages beeped on her laptop. Immediately Cat's heart tripped, fearing the worst. How could she not?

The message, surely, was from X. Cat swallowed and opened it, fearing that he had heard her or seen her, and let out a breath of relief when she saw the first sentence.

—

"187 28th, West Sicard Road. You have until midnight. Oh, and while you're sitting at your desk writing an article about yourself which is rather entertaining I must say, why don't you go down to the 3rd floor and check that empty office you no longer use. You have a few new toys, Check them carefully, you will need them tonight. Go check out your toys all cats need they're toys, here's a list of what they do:

Bionic Contacts: I will see everything you will.

A new Suit: made of Satin and Leather, to fit you more properly, laced with lead

Magnetic Nails: New claws for you, much sharper and stronger.

Lead based makeup: I discovered that Supergirl is watching you closely already, and you will probably become a quick target. So everything including your new suit, is lead based.

Shoes 4 inch heels. Stiletto boots: With a sharp metal heel Opera gloves. Satin, silk, leather.

Collar

Raffling hook

Black mask, Leather Whip Throwing Hooks

Oh, and while you're exploring your new toys, you're going to try them on. And then you're going to scope out this address a bit, since it's about lunch time. You aren't far from there, it seems. Go check it out, or I can't promise what'll happen."

—

—

Cat had to. Simply had to. She was quickly realizing there was no way around these orders, and it was safer to just comply. Opening the door to her old tech office, Cat stopped at the sight of 4 white boxes, sleek and shiny, like a perfect pile in the middle of the table.

Stepping slowly, Cat closed the door behind her, and stepped up to check them, lifting the smallest first, the size of her hand, and opened it gently, finding a set of gold rimmed contacts, with what looked like tiny computer chips, barely the size of a pinprick.

Cat set those aside and looked into the next box, where she found the new shoes. Normally Cat would stare at them in awe, but this was no time for that. She had more important things to do. Cat also found the claws here and a her new opera gloves. Satin and silk. And leather.

Her mask was in the next box, along with a whip, and a leather collar. And her strapless suit, a pantsuit. And how nice it honestly looked. Cat, wasn't sure what to make of her reaction to the suit, the fact that she oddly seemed to like it.

The fourth box had a grappling hook. And a set of pure silver throwing hooks. 5 in total. Damn. Cat took a minute to stare at the items, and sighed, swallowing thickly, refusing to shed tears at the thought of everything happening here.

Sighing, Cat locked the door to change, and did as told, slipping into her suit carefully, making sure she had everything arranged as it should be, and then debated how to get out of Catco without getting seen. Welp, a challenge was a challenge.

— Later that night, after dark—

Cat looked around a bit outside, looking for a good way into the place that wasn't too heavily guarded. This was not going to be easy with everyone on high alert. But they weren't going to see this coming.

Cat was crouching in the tree in the yard at the side of house waiting to pounce on her prey, the guard. She growled at the guard, which caused him to look at her. She saw him reach for his radio to alarm the other guards, but to his surprise it wasn't there, she pulled it out from behind her and waved it at him mocking him, Cat snatched it from his pocket earlier when he was not looking.

"Nice taser gun, you should be more careful with it, you wouldn't want someone to steal it now. " She said

Cat jumped to dodge the wires from the taser, she grabbed the guard on the way down. Cat pinned him to the ground, she ripped the taser out of his hands and clipped it to her belt. She grabbed a small tree and stuffed it in his mouth too keep him quiet while she took his uniform off him and handcuffed him to a tree out of sight with his own handcuffs.

Cat quickly slipped into uniform putting it over her own then went inside posing as one of the guards, she stopped as soon as she walked in the front door, shocked at how many guards and security there were.

Cat was nervous as she walked past the guards, and tried furiously to remain calm and collected as she crossed through rooms and hallways, trying to keep a mental track of the basic house floor plan, to know where the hell she was for later. Heading up a flight of stairs, Cat slipped through a few rooms more and kept an eye out for anything resembling a walk in closet or dressing room, or anything with abundant security or guardsmen.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Cat walked past walked looked like a fully guarded room that was fairly large, and Cat assumed it must be the right room, or it wouldn't be guarded so heavily and sharply. But heavy guards also meant this would be nearly impossible to do, because of the security alone. Right now, Cat had no ideas at all as to how she was going to complete this mission. There was 7 guards around the two doors, there would be triple that within. And a quick glance told Cat they were all armed as well. Armed and insanely dangerous.

Keeping up, Cat went up to the end of the hall, to a washroom that was as vast as Cat's entire bedroom, and closed the door behind her. There wasn't anyone here, and it seemed to be a safer corner, but still fairly near where Cat assumed she had to end up.

Slipping everything off, Cat stopped in front of the mirror and adjusted the top of her new suit. It fit like a strapless satin dress, with a corset built in to keep its shape, that shifted into a pantsuit down lower. Checking her equipment, Cat checked everything out and then stood back and looked around the vast bathroom, debating what would be the easiest way to get 4 rooms down, about 1400 square feet away, and past about 12 guards.

Cat decided the window was the only option, she crawled out the window and stepped on to a very thin ledge, barely enough for her foot. She stepped out, and gasped. That was 2 stories down to the ground or 1 story and a bad looking ending on the edge of a sky lighted roof. Cat walked a few unsteady steps while she dug her nails into the bricks, hoping for balance. There was a skylight below her, that just looked potentially deadly. She got halfway when she heard the guards enter the bathroom she had been in, and sped up shakily. She needed a way out and fast. She climbed up onto the roof and using her grappling hook she quickly hooked and grabbed it and ran across the roof and stopped above the window to the room she needed.

Cat laid down on the roof and hung upside down and peaked in the room, seeing two guards right by the window. She sat back on the roof, and thought.

She grabbed her knife from her belt and put it in her mouth and hooked the cable to the roof, and backed up a few steps then ran off the roof and swung down, right into the window. Cat instinctively tucked and rolled, and as soon she hit her feet the guards were right beside her. She quickly grabbed the knife from her mouth and stabbed the one in the throat and knocked the other out with her elbow. Cat didn't even have time to take a breath before she realized there was a third guard just feet away, and she quickly hit him with her stolen taser in the chest. She took a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall to breathe deeply, laying her eyes on the dress across the room.

Honestly despite knowing the sheer danger, despite knowing the problems, Cat had to pause at the dress. At the stunning beauty of it. At the sheer sparkle. This thing had to have at least a million pure Swarovski crystals imbedded in the corset alone, let alone into the silk beneath it, fading into the fabric. Cat, could only be glad the dress wasn't too wide or poofy. She'd worried about that, about how to carry it. This, she could fold and seemingly carry, if careful.

Swallowing, Cat stepped up to the item slowly, looking for lasers just like last time, or any other security. Seeing faint beams, Cat crouched her way underneath them, and stood up flush with the beams and the mannequin. And the dress. It didn't take much to slip the dress off, simple really, and Cat slipped it off gently and folded it against her chest, feeling some sense of relief at finally holding the thing. Crouching down, Cat stepped gently under the lasers, just managing to step back under without hitting the beam. Cat sighed in silent relief, and the gasped as every single alarm went off.

Looking behind her, Cat gasped at the sight of her heel hit one damn beam, and quickly stood and backed up a bit, folding the dress haphazardly against her chest as she heard the locks on the door shift open.

Cat had seconds. And they were counting down. Thinking, Cat did the only thing she could. Run. And step onto the windowsill, and jump. And not breathe...

Not until she hit the glass below her and fell hard, landing on some sort of soft surface, surprisingly. Cat gasped as she bounced gently on something soft, and looked around after a few seconds of letting her mind clear a bit.

A bed.

A very soft bed. Cat almost laughed at her luck, and looked up above her at the broken skylight, and glass lying everywhere. Wincing, Cat looked at her shoulder, above her right breast, and saw a mild cut, just scrapes from the glass.

Knowing she had seconds to spare, Cat shakily slipped off the bed and ran, ending up at a door to a garden of sorts. Cat didn't even think, just ran, and ran straight face first into fresh summer night air, and Supergirl. Who was waiting patiently against the wall.

Cat gasped, wondering exactly what was going on, and stopped. Stared. Holy shit. In person, Supergirl was almost... this was nothing compared to the office visits. This was... deadly.

It took Cat a moment to realize she had a Kryptonite spray of sorts. And no, the last thing Cat wanted to do was to hurt Supergirl. But right now, Cat was fighting for her son. And so the Kryptonite was used, and then Cat was off again, running tiredly across open lawn. She was tired. By now, quite tired.

Cat Grant was 44, this was not something she was exactly built for. Not at her age. Or any age for that matter. And out here, she couldn't exactly stop to breathe either. There was no waiting. So when she saw the floor level skylight, Cat almost stopped to laugh at the situation and stopped for only a sending before just jumping straight into it and hoping for anyther bed of sorts. Well, who got lucky twice?

Nobody. Not even Cat Grant. So a fall and roll it was, an an awkward on at that. Cat sighed at this. More glass. More scrapes. At least one painful cut. And a lot of tired muscle. And a tired brain to go with it. Cat sat up and stood, looking around her for anything safe, because she wasn't sure how much further she could run without a proper breather.

The only thing down her was an empty parking lot of sorts, a few stray boxes, and... was that a vault. A massive, walk in vault. And open too.

Cat stood and stepped towards it slowly, and stepped inside, grateful for the odd let comforting safety it seemed to offer. Cat closed the door behind her and she saw she only had 8 minutes left, so she called X.

"I have it." She said as soon as he picked up.

"Good, I see your learning how to be a better thief I'm beginning to wonder if your starting to like it."

"Can I see m-"

"Again with the begging." He interrupted her, sounding annoyed.

"Please please I just want to see my son, I did want you wanted, I just want my son back s-"

"Stop the whining, it's annoying, but if you really must know he's fine." X said sharply, and Cat did stop, silent, listening now more than arguing. "I noticed something." He said curiously. "You ran into Supergirl. This is interesting. Based on that, I think we should play a little game. For your next task, I think you're going to steal some Kryptonite for me. It might come in useful later, against her, if she follows you again. You will go to Maxwell Lord's lab, I think. You'll steal Kryptonite for me. Yeah, I think that work nicely."

Cat sighed, knowing there was no way around this again, or face the consequences of her choice. Surely he wouldn't mention it again. Seemingly he already sounded annoyed with her.

"Yes," Cat said softly, honestly feeling like giving up. But knowing she couldn't. Not for anything. "Yes sir."


	4. The Closer You Look, The Less You See

"Morning, Ms. Grant." Kara said happily, a typical day in the Catco offices, and handed over the usual latte.

"Mmm. Morning." Cat said sleepily, focusing on her laptop entirely, blindly reaching for the latte and taking a big gulp as soon as she had the mug securely in hand.

"You seem tense, Ms. Grant. Is everything okay? You look... stressed."

Cat finished typing a sentence and then looked up, sighing. Cat had intended to just brush Kara's comments off, but the sight of Kara's sweet face and kind smile, it had become a relief of sorts. The girl was such a sweetheart, it contradicted Cat's brazen attitude. And right now, it lowered her fears just slightly, and gave her some room to properly breathe, for the first time in the last few days. "I'm just busy working on that Catwoman article, and the gala for tomorrow, in honour of that jeweller and his work. There's lots that has to be done for it. How are the preparations coming along?" Cat asked sleepily, changing the subject to something more work related and not so dangerously close to her new secret.

"It's coming along." Kara said, her voice peppy. "I just have to arrange the flowers and the caterers. And then music."

"Well keep at it, we have 28 hours. Also there is an article about Catwoman for you to proof, and then send for the noon posting. I'm just finishing it up."

"Deal." Kara said simply, and Cat looked up past Kara at James coming into her office quickly. "James, you're interrupting, as usual. What's of importance now?"

"This might be of some worth to your article." James said slowly and Cat listened up. Anything related to her couldn't be good. "Yesterday I was in the area for some photos on lunch when I wound up near the house that got robbed by Catwoman. I managed to grab a few stray pictures of her. They aren't good quality, but I think you might be able to publish one or two."

Cat took the files and flipped through the photos, aiming to maintain a cool attitude, and to keep herself calm, and sighed softly when she saw that most were, in fact, not very HD quality. These, Cat could feasibly publish without too much conflict.

Nodding, Cat smiled, and took the photos, flicking her wrist for Kara and James to leave her in peace. That peace, because Cat heard her email go off. That, could only mean one thing.

Surely enough, the email was from X. Cat opened it without breathing.

—

"Here's some more details about your next task tonight. You will be steeling green kryptonite from Maxwell Lord's lab, it shouldn't be to much trouble for you. But if Supergirl shows up, handle it. Oh and I left a gift for you downstairs. It is a small lead box the size of a belt buckle. It also attaches to your belt, for the kryptonite. It might come in handy, to store it.

I see you got James' photos btw, I think you will find them quite useful. Everyone knows you love to brag about yourself.

Add them to your article, be a little proud of yourself. You've done nicely so far.

I won't say I contacted him directly, but I had... mmm, let's say a friend told another friend, who told him. Enjoy, I know all kitties love to play.

—

—That night—

Cat entered the room carefully, and stopped, looking around carefully for cameras, and slowly walked over to the glass table in the middle of the room. Stepping closer to it, Cat looked it over and slid her fingers along the edge of the tabletop, grateful for her gloves and that she wouldn't leave fingerprints on anything.

Cat gasped at the sight of the kryptonite shards in the glass display case. So rare, so special. So very deadly. Tracing her fingers over the edge of the case, Cat saw that it was locked up tightly, and there wouldn't be a simple lock or latch. Cat looked it over for a moment, before deciding to cut into the glass using her claws. Carefully, Cat removed the glass, and then lifted the kryptonite gently and carefully held it up to look at, stunned by the material. Cat looked at it for a few seconds before slipping the shards into the lead case on her belt.

Looking up, Cat had to admit, this did seem somewhat easy, compared to her last thefts. But then, Cat wasn't exactly going to let a good opportunity go by, and moved back the way she had come, stopping only to check around her again. Cat couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if she knew someone would be there to stop her.

Making it out of the room, Cat turned to close the door, and looked across the hallways for safety. Only when she turned back, she nearly ran face first into Supergirl.

Cat gasped, stepping back in shock, and her hand went instinctively to her belt to protect the Kryptonite, before realizing it couldn't exactly be taken away by Supergirl, and lowered her hand to her side instead.

Cat watched Supergirl look her over, and knew under any other situation she would smile and Kara being this close to her. This suit... it was definitely entertaining to her mind. But that was neither her nor there, and this definitely wasn't the time. Cat smirked at the realization, that honestly, getting away without a fight was hopeless. And Cat felt suddenly silly for even considering that it could be. Especially with Supergirl after her.

Normally, Cat would run, and honestly questioned why she hadn't immediately. But there something honestly intoxicating about having Supergirl this close up in person, and Cat felt just a little intrigued in a way she knew she shouldn't be.

Focusing her brain, Cat ran, foolishly forgetting Supergirl's speed, and only remembered when Kara slammed her against the nearest wall, and Cat physically gasped in pain at the effect it had. Pure Kryptonian strength.

Under different situations Cat would find Kara's strength arousing, but this? This hurt like fucking hell. Cat stepped shakily on her stiletto heels and shook her head once before slipping quickly under Supergirl before a punch hit the wall. Supergirl's intention, Cat had no doubt, was to knock her out, to take her to wherever Supergirl's alien captures ended up. Thinking furiously, trying to ignore that Supergirl did such things to her, Cat ran. Anywhere. Aimless. And quick.

And barely made it to a door and inside, before stopping as Supergirl followed her without much of a second in between and basically charged right into her. Cat, couldn't do much besides fall and try to catch herself before hitting the floor too roughly. Bracing herself on her arms barely, Cat could only gasp as Supergirl flipped her over and settled on her waist, fully intending to go in for another punch, and Cat covered her face. Kara grasped her hand, and Cat stopped. What else could she do? For her son, she didn't have a choice anymore.

Cat felt Supergirl start a tight grip on her throat like she was going to choke her, and felt Supergirl lift her off the ground right before Supergirl was about to slam her against the hard tile floor, and did the only thing she could do. Her last choice.

"Kara, stop!" Cat pleaded, just as Supergirl was going to hit her again. "I'm doing this to save my son."

"What?" Supergirl stopped and looked at her. "Your... son?"

"It's me. It's Cat, your boss. my son got kidnapped and if I don't do this he'll kill Carter."

"What... happened to Carter? Is he ok? Cat?... what the hell is happening here?"

"He's watching my every move. I don't have any time to explain. Kara... if... I don't know what to do."

"Um..." Kara looked around, and back at Cat. "He's watching you now?"

"I'm wearing bionic contacts. He sees what I do. He knows you're here right now." "How can I help?" Kara asked softly, and Cat thought, looking quickly around the room. "If you want to help me... um..." Cat wandered, unsure.

When Kara kissed her, Cat could only gasp, and close her eyes to it.

Cat felt Kara's lips graze over hers, barely, and couldn't help but sigh at the contact of finally feeling Kara, Supergirl, kiss her. There was something utterly unique about this Kryptonian, and the oddly porcelain feel of her skin. It was honestly intoxicating. Hypnotizing.

Sighing, Cat leaned into it and felt Kara respond in kind, bringing their lips flush together, and Cat felt Kara's grip tighten gently on her wrist, and felt her press closer, Kara's breath seemingly hitch as their bodies pressed together.

If Cat didn't know better, she would think this real. Kara seemed so... into it. So happy with it. Feeling Kara release grasp on her wrist slightly and move a hand towards her shoulder, Cat instinctively brought her hand up to Kara's hair, sweeping that gorgeous cascade of blonde hair over to one side, and tangling her fingers into the slightly tangled mass of gold.

Cat kissed harder, not to make it look real, but because it honestly was. Cat had had an urge to kiss Kara Danvers since the day the girl had walked in for an interview, and then as Supergirl, that urge had only increased thousandfold, making this so much more arousing and exciting all at once. So much more... real. And it was enough to make Cat shift, bringing her leg against Kara's hip, the feeling of Kara's cape slide against her leg pure fire to her already climbing arousal.

Kara, for her part, only seemed fuelled by the shift in position and kissed deeper, then moved and kissed down her her jaw, moving to kiss her neck. Cat nearly jumped as Kara's lips settled over her pulse, and then her collarbone, dipping her tongue barely into the hollow indent there. Cat couldn't resist a sigh at the sensations that caused, and buried her other hand into Kara's cape, grasping at the fabric, pulling Kara as close against her as possible.

Cat felt Kara smile against her skin and shift to the side, and grasp the zipper of her suit with her teeth. Cat, for her part, dropped her head to the floor and laughed, astonished and madly in love with this stunning beauty of a woman. An alien woman. And what a woman she was.

Cat gasped as Kara tugged at the zipper, moving to do it with her hand, and kissing every inch of the exposed skin slowly, savouring. Cat couldn't help her moan, and closed her eyes at the feeling for a second. "Fuck, Kara."

—

Winn shouted as he hit the dartboard in the centre again, and Lyra smirked, knowing it was all her work, that had made him so good at this game. Picking up another dart, Winn stepped back to aim it, and stopped when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Pulling it out, Winn motioned to Lyra to continue, and checked the number. It was Carter. Surprised, Winn sat down at the counter and typed back to the oddly short message.

"How are you? Been playing lots of video games lately?" The message said, and Winn typed back slowly, confused. Usually Carter was a little more... enthusiastic.

"A few. Have any new ones to try out sometime? How are you doing? How's school?"

"I'm playing a really cool video game these days. It's very realistic. So... realistic." The reply took

two minutes to come in, unusual for Carter.

"What is it called? What's the plot line?"

"Its about a kidnapping. It's a very very cool game and resembles my life a lot right now."

Winn sat back at that, and stared at his phone, confusion over his features. He sat the re for a few seconds before Lyra grasped the phone out of his hands and checked his messages for him.

"You look lost, your face never does that. What's wrong?" Lyra asked, swiping through his message bar, reading with alien speed, then stopped slowly and looked at the phone with intense concentration.

It took a moment, before Lyra looked at him intensely. "Carter's been kidnapped." Lyra said simply, and Winn just looked at her, before it clicked on him as well. Standing, Winn took her arm and went outside with her, into the alley and took his phone, changing the contact to Alex, and called her immediately.

Alex, picked up on the second ring and Winn didn't bother with an introduction, foregoing any pleasantries. "Carter's been kidnapped."

"What?" Alex asked quietly on the other end, and Winn heard a distinctive yawn, and shortly after, Maggie muttering a soft "what's the matter?"

Winn, for his part, just kept speaking. "Carter's been kidnapped, I just figured it out. He's been texting me. He told me his life is basically resembling a video game about kidnappings and theft right now."

"I'm going to call Kara. Hold tight over there."

Winn hung up and looked at Lyra and smiled softly, and she nodded, walking with him back inside, intending to wait for news.

—

The call startled both Cat and Kara, and Kara muttered a curse of sorts, having no intention to break away from Cat's lower stomach, but pulled out her phone nonetheless and checked up on the incoming call ID. Alex.

Sighing, Kara answered and brought the phone to her ear, and bit her lip at the sight of Cat like this. Fuelled by the sight alone, Kara answered and hung up a second later, muttering a quiet "not now, Alex," in response.

Cat couldn't resist a smirk, and Kara went back to her job, which seemed to consist only of making Cat scream in ecstasy for the foreseeable future.

"Kara..." Cat whispered, feeling Kara's lips fall back against her collarbone, a tease of Kara's freeze breath skating along her neck.

"Shh. Just feel." Kara whispered, brushing her lips down Cat's stomach after pulling the strapless suit to the side to bare Cat's skin to the darkness of the room. Cat smirked and then gasped, arching her back into Kara's kiss, bringing a hand to her hair as Kara kissed lower, Kara tugging the suit until she was kissing against her navel, with clear intention to go lower.

Cat whimpered when Kara bit lightly, and pushed gently at Kara's shoulder, urging her lower, to where Cat was honestly burning alive, so eager for Kara she could only be glad this suit was real leather.

Kara did, nipping at the top of her inner thigh, teasing, and Cat dropped her head back at the feeling, let alone the sight. Cat kept urging, until Kara stopped altogether and looked up, licking at her lips eagerly, but distractedly looking around the room.

"You're stopping now?!" Cat asked in shock, lifting her head off the floor to looking at Kara in disbelief. "Don't you dare stop."

"Shush." Kara whispered, and looked around at the office.

"Are you telling me to be quiet? Because Kara, I swear to god-"

"I heard something, someone is coming. We have to get out of here right now." Kara said in a hurry, standing, and helping Cat off the floor gently.

"They're coming from everywhere, we need to get out of here now." Cat said looking at security cameras in her contacts while quickly zipping up her body suit. "We have 2 minutes max."

"I can fly you out of here... wait how do you know that?" Kara asked, stopping to look at Cat head on, confusion on her features.

"The contacts record heat sensors and tell me where people are, at all times." "Um... wow. Okay then. Well... I can still..."

Cat looked at her up and down then, and Kara put her hands on her hips defensively, but smiled, amused.

"What?" Kara asked slowly, and Cat shook her head.

"Oh... nothing. I'm just... I didn't expect this turn of events. I didn't expect a... savior to come and find me."

"Well I think we can safely assume that after what happened a few minutes ago, I don't think we'll be hurting each other anytime soon." Kara said, moving over to the balcony, indication for Cat to follow.

"I expect you to finish that after... all this is over." Cat said, tears brimming in her coppery eyes at the thought and as reality struck her again.

"It'll be alright." Kara whispered, and the next thing she knew Kara had her wrapped tightly in her strong arms, cradling her closely. "It'll be fine, Carter will be fine. I promise."

A few seconds later, way too fast for Cat to fully comprehend, Cat stepped onto the ceiling slowly and then walked a few steps over to some stray boxes, Supergirl quickly behind her, listening intently but patiently.

"I got the kryptonite." Cat said.

"Your getting the hang of this. You have more time to spare this time around. Nice work, Catwoman."

"Can I have my son?" Cat asked sharply.

"No this is too much fun. You make for the most interesting stuff to watch."

"What else do you want?" Cat asked, and thought about it for a second, then continued before Lex could speak. "How do I know if my son is even still alive?"

"I did not expect this." Lex said, after a brief silence. "You're getting braver. Also, you two having this sort of connection, is something I didn't foresee happening. I'm intrigued, I think... you two will work together. If you don't you're son will be killed immediately."

"I understand." Cat said immediately, looking at Kara, who obviously had overheard the conversation and had moved off to look over the city.

"Good, now as for a visual... I guess you are allowed that. But if I at any point see you divulging it to anyone other than your little super powered friend over there, you're son will be dead instantly, far faster than Supergirl could even launch herself into the air. Do you understand me clearly?"

"Yes, sir." Cat said, and Kara nodded as well, knowing he was watching this.

"I'll send you a text. Make sure you look over it in private only. I will know otherwise. Don't test my patience, Grant. As for your next task... hmm, well I'll consider what it should be. I'm looking for a prize, and I think I might just have found an easier way to it. Goodnight, Catwoman, you might want to sleep. You're going to need your energy. As for that text, you know the consequences."

Cat hung up and looked at Kara, and the tears started even before Cat could speak a word. Kara, hugged her immediately, and Cat could only hold on, letting her tears well over into Kara's suit, Cat hurrying her face in Kara's neck.

Cat stayed like that for a full minute, and Kara began to wonder about that photo proof, until Cat basically fell against her slack, and Kara pulled her back up tightly.

"Cat?"

"Carter."cat whispered, and Kara gasped, as Cat pulled away to look straight ahead, her eyes filling with tears.

"Holy crap." Kara whispered. Cats contacts. An image Kara could barely make out, of a seriously hurt 16 year old boy. "How in the fuck?"


	5. 24 Hours

"She's sleeping. Finally. After hours of tears and crying and fear, she finally fell asleep and now she's getting some proper rest." Kara said softly, watching Cat sleep, curled up in the blankets tightly, her fingers twitching slightly as she slept, dreaming of something.

"So what exactly is going on? Kara I need an explanation." Alex asked on the other end of the line and Kara sighed, walking towards her kitchen.

"Carter was kidnapped. Cat... did the only reasonable thing she could do. She was blackmailed into it, and now she has to follow through, or her son gets killed as a result. She's exhausted, Alex. It took her 4 hours to fall asleep after crying half the night. She finally fell asleep due to exhaustion around 2 am and she's actually still sleeping."

"Where are you guys?"

"At my place. I wanted to take her home, but I figured the place must be bugged, and besides, she doesn't need to walk around her beach house and find Carter missing again."

"Do you have any ideas as to who might have taken him?" Alex asked, and Kara sighed deeply, unsure.

"Not really. It can't be Max, since she was there for Kryptonite last night. As for other people... I'm drawing a complete blank here. I can't think of anyone who could be that sick. That... evil. Whoever it is, he's sick in his mind and... I wish I knew what he wants with Cat Grant or Carter. Or both. I don't see how they owe him anything, or why he would think that."

"He wants something from her." Alex said, and Kara faintly heard Maggie talking in the background. "Most likely he wants something, and figures she can either lead him to it, or away from it so it's free for him to take. But..."

"Why would he ask Cat Grant to steal Kryptonite?" Now it was Maggie talking.

"I don't know." Kara said after realizing who she was talking to. "Im assuming it has something to do with me or Kal..." Kara started, and stopped then, turning at the sound of soft footsteps, and nearly dropped the phone at the sight of Cat, wearing nothing much besides a dark red thong and a loose white button up shirt that was way to big because it belonged to Kara herself.

"Kar?" Maggie asked softly and Kara shook her head, answering quickly, trying to clear the haze out of her lust fogged brain.

"Uh, yeah. No I have no idea what it could actually be for." Kara said, hugging Cat against her side gently, cradling her closely before watching Cat venture into the kitchen to find a source of caffeine. "Top left by the fridge." Kara murmured and went back to her call, blushing when Maggie asked. "Cat wants coffee."

"Oh the cougar is up. And thirsty." Maggie said, and Kara could almost hear the assuming grin.

"Maggie! No! Nothing... never mind." Kara gave up, realizing there would be no convincing her. "I cant figure out why anyone would want Cat, to steal Kryptonite. What's the point?

"I was thinking last night, and realized a point though." Maggie pointed out, and Kara silenced, watching Cat putter about, looking for some stuff, and listened to Maggie talk. "If this person that calls himself X, had Cat steal Kryptonite, then why was he so very calm when you showed up to first fight Cat, and then start working alongside her instead. It makes no sense, and I have to wonder what his plan is with the Kryptonite, to make him decide it was okay to have you there. I do think he needs you, but I can't find out for what..."

"Makes sense." Kara said softly and continued to listen to Maggie ramble about the green crystal, and watched Cat dig through her bag and find her phone, then swipe through it, until she stopped completely and stared at her phone in silence. "Give me a second, Mags." Kara said and lowered the phone, sliding it into her shirt pocket cautiously, but not before putting it on speakerphone, thinking ahead of any idea.

"Cat? What is it?" Kara asked, stopping next to Cat and staring down at her phone.

"X wants the kryptonite delivered. To the National City port, for one of his... pawns, he says here. He's going o call me now. Stay quiet, Kara. Stay out of vision, and listen to it.

Cat handed the phone to Kara to see, and Kara read it quickly, then handed it back for Cat to take the incoming call.

"You're one of the many pawns on my chessboard, Catherine. Deliver my Kryptonite to one of my many other pawns, who move along in this game. All the pawns are slaves to the king, and that, my dear, is me. I want something you have, and you will do whatever I say."

"I won't be getting fooled by your tricks again, X." Cat said softly, but sternly. "You can do whatever you want to me, play your little games. Hell, take a bucket of piss and call it Peach Tea, but I won't be caught drinking it. I'm Cat fucking Grant, and you aren't going to fool me. I'm coming for my son, and you better hope he'll be there when I am, because if he isn't, you'll be paying for it. The King might be the strongest piece on a chessboard, but the Queen is able to move anywhere, at any time. I'll always be seven steps ahead of you."

"Ah yes, the Queen is strong. But the truth is that the closer you look, the less you see. And in this game, the Queen can become merely a pawn for a bigger ploy. Don't test my patience, Cat. You might be the Queen, and you seem to have Knight in shining armour coming to save you, but that doesn't mean you'll win."

"Ah yes. I may seem like a pawn, but every pawn can become anything she desires, if she gets far enough. With the assistance of a Knight, she can take down a king."

"You do know your way around a chessboard, don't you? You're a smart one. That may be true, but I might just be waiting. Using a Rook, a King can make a special move. And then, not even a Knight will be able to save you. Go deliver my Kryptonite, Cat. Be my pawn, unless you want to see the Rook drop off. Don't test me Catherine. And as for your next task..."

"What else do you want?"

"That gala you're holding tonight?"

"Yes?" Cat asked, and looked at Kara, who listened silently a few feet away.

"Steal that diamond necklace for me. The one the gala is for? I want it, and you're going to bring it to me. I'll send you details as usual. Now go deliver my Kryptonite for me. I'm assuming you're with Supergirl, since you didn't come home last night. If you are, have you're so called Knight in shining armour go check her mailbox. You have a little gift. Now you see me, Catherine. And suddenly you won't. You'll never know how far ahead I actually am."

"X, I swear, if you kill my son, our out me to the world, the world will know you forced me into it. I would go to jail for being an accomplice, but you, you'd be away forever. For murder. And more."

"Oh how frisky. Meow. Well, Catherine. Since you decided to be so... argumentative, I think I'll step up the game in return. Make you rethink messing with me again. I told you what would happen if you did that, and so you must face the consequences of your actions. I was going to have you steal that necklace for me and call it quits for the day, but let's up the game, shall we? As of right now, for your little threat, your son has 24 hours to live. You're still going to steal that necklace for me, and maybe I'll give you more tasks after to work with. Oh, and btw, your time is ticking. When you threatened me, you had 24 hours. Now, it's less."

Cat hung up and looked at Kara, who just looked shocked, and walked over to hug her tightly. Cat buried herself into Kara, and curled against her, the feeling of Kara's strong arms around her making her feel better. Safer. Stronger.


	6. The Redcapes Are Coming

Cat opened the door at the top of the stairs and walked on to the roof with Kara right behind her and looked around a bit to make sure she was alone before she grabbed her cell phone and called X, to tell him that the task was done.

"I've got your necklace. Can I finally have my son now?" Cat said breathlessly.

"I guess you've really got some cat like moves, since you did that so fast and effectively. How long did that theft take you, 5 minutes max? I think I will give you another task, because you're moving a bit too quickly for my liking. I know you want your son, but... I also want a something. I'm used to getting my way. Hmm... I think I want you to break into Lex Luthor's mansion."

"What?" Cat asked, and silenced. Lex Luthor's mansion? Cat stopped and looked at Kara, who for her part looked utterly confused. Cat had thought it was Lex, who was behind this entire plot. And now... if not him, then who?

"Steal some kryptonite bullets for me. But, I think you need a cat nap before you can continue, you seem a bit out of breath."

"What happened to me doing this last thing then going to get my son? Wasn't that our deal?" Cat asked, focusing on the point at hand, trying not to get lost in the fog and confusion.

"Now don't be frisky." X said right after clicking his tongue. "You're going to stay still and do nothing until I contact you and tell you to move on to your next task. If you start before I tell you to, someone will get hurt." He said quickly, then Cat practically heard him smirk. "Oh and wherever you go, keep your contacts in. I will know otherwise." X said right before the line went dead. Cat looked back at Kara who pulled her into a hug immediately.

"It's going to be ok," Kara said holding Cat close to her chest. "We will get him back. Let's go back to my place."

"Let's go somewhere else, please." Cat pleaded. "I just need to be somewhere with less memories."

"Come on, we'll go to Winn's place." Kara whispered and Cat nodded in response.

—

Standing on a rooftop edge, Cat adjusted her gloves for the 20th time in two minutes, and looked across to another building, biting her lip at the sheer idea of doing this.

Winn, in addition to bugging her with an earpiece that he could listen to everything through, and Alex equipping her with a highly powered gun, Winn had messed with her gloves and given her what Cat could only explain as something similar to a zip line sort of thing that she could extend and then cut off simply by swiping, using it as an escape. It was similar to what she'd heard Spider-Man use way back when in the news, and Cat wondered about everything involved but couldn't waste time on it. She had hours, and they were counting down.

He'd also installed a pinprick sized camera on the tip of her mask, at her nose, and was watching, just as X seemingly did through her contacts, and that could only slightly comfort Cat, knowing more eyes were watching, rather than just herself. Cat also looked up, noticing Kara hovering above her.

Under normal circumstances, she might even consider a rooftop and Supergirl and such a thing romantic, and would want Kara like she needed to breathe. Deep down she truly craved her fully, completely. But right now, all she could think about was Carter. All that mattered was Carter right now. Stepping back a few steps, Cat brought her wrist to her nose and aimed her vision and her wrist at the next rooftop, about 6 feet away, and slightly lower. Aiming carefully, and listening silently to Winn in her ear, Cat pressed the tiny button on her palm and let the thin wire fly, and catch against something on the other wall. A railing. It hooked, and stuck on tightly, and Cat lowered her hand and pulled, and to her shock, it didn't budge.

Looking down, Cat hooked it over her own railing, as Winn had told her, and let it break off. It seemingly crusted itself to the railing, and Cat tried to pull it off. It wouldn't. Even with force.

Cat stepped to the edge of roof and grabbed the wire with both hands and brought herself to a crouch, nervous. How the hell did anyone do this, without fearing for their lives? Cat looked over the edge of the building with a gulp, swallowing thickly. 20 stories down, and nothing besides street beneath her. Looking up, Cat looked up at Kara floating close by, watching silently, and it eased Cat's fears slightly. Kara wouldn't ever let her fall.

Swallowing, Cat let herself slip over the edge of the building, and tightened her grip at Winn had explained, and gasped as she felt herself slide, and ever so slowly speed up, until she stumbled at let go a bit early against the other building's roof, and crouched in her landing, stumbling to her knees.

Well.

On a normal day Cat might consider that thrilling. But certainly not now.

After a glance at Kara, who was nodding approvingly, Cat tried doing the same thing a few times more, from one building to another, and then stopped, seeing Lex's mansion. Hmm. Well, if she wanted to find her son, surprising Lex seemed like a smart move. So a wire was extended and Cat swung, and them gasped as she saw the wall barely, and then felt glass breaking around her.

—-

Cat crashed through the window roughly and moved to crouch, but slipped and landed hard on her back, crashing to the floor with a rough stop, causing her to gasp in pain. That hadn't gone as smoothly as she had expected it to, and Cat raised herself up slowly, wincing at the pain.

Looking around herself, Cat stopped at the sight of water, everywhere. And glass. And flickering lights, a sparking electrical cord hanging on the wall where the tank had been, but not in the water. And... fish. Large, Grayish Brown, twitching fish. Hundreds of them.

Looking beside her, Cat picked one up by the tail and looked at it with a pout, then dropped it, raising herself to a sitting position and then slowly rose to her feet shakily.

"Piranhas? Who in the fuck owns piranhas?!" Cat said angrily, and leaned against the wall to steady herself as Winn spoke into her earpiece, asking if she was okay, and about the fish. "I'm okay. I broke into a fish tank. I guess. I'm fine." Cat whispered.

"I don't see anything weird yet. Look around, explore. I'm watching." Winn said over Cat's earpiece, and Cat relaxed somewhat. Two sets of eyes watching through a pinprick sized camera on the tip of the mask at her nose, as well as her... it increased their chances greatly.

Stepping forward, wincing at her aching muscles, Cat stepped over broken glass, and an inch of settling water, to the steps up to dryer ground, sweeping water off her (thankfully) waterproof suit.

Looking around, Cat scanned the room quickly for anything amiss. Security, any cases or boxes, cameras, or lasers, anything. And found surprisingly no security, no cameras, no nothing. Also, much to Cat's sadness, no sign of her Carter.

Wasting no time, Cat walked through a thin hallway and checked over everything, feeling anxious to be here. The most likely person to have Carter had seemed to be Lex, until this theft. The thought didn't ease her fears any, and Cat still scanned fro anything relating to her son, very curious as to who else could have her son. Lex seemed like the most likely suspect, and now... well who wouldn't be checking for the most minor detail?

Cat passed through a few rooms the same way, checking everything, and finding nothing. Absolutely nothing. No hints. No clues. No Kryptonite bullets, no Carter, no Lex. Cat stopped after the 5th room of nothing, and looked back again, feeling oddly suspicious that there was absolutely no security, no guards, no cameras, no lazers, no lines. Winn also thought it was weird, and so did everyone else. Swallowing as she checked her counting down time, Cat looked above her and everywhere, and stopped at the end of the hallway, a sparkle catching her eye.

Looking behind her, Cat turned back and walked over the few feet, and stopped dead, her fingers starting to shake at the find.

Her locket. With Carter and her in a photo. The locket she'd given him for his 10th birthday, the one he always had in his backpack. The one that mattered to him the most.

Broken. The thin fragile glass shattered as well as the photo within.

Carefully, Cat picked up the remaining pieces, and geared at the sight, her eyes filling with tears. Her brave perfect boy, shattered. The picture breaking right between the two, and scattering like lightning. And the picture, broken. Ripped. Dropping it without thinking, Cat stopped and fell to her knees, her heart breaking at the sight and what it meant.

Cat barely felt when Kara was there barely a second later to hug her tightly, but grasped on anyways, burying her face into Kara's shoulder, crying heavy tears, her body spasming with the crying, and Cat felt Kara hug her close, pulling Cat gently into her lap, quietly rubbing her back, which only made Cat cry harder.

Cat felt Kara shift, and clutched tightly to her cape and suit, while Kara whispered soft gentle words and Cat heard the rustling of a chain, and glass. Cat moved to wipe her eyes and look over at Kara, who was examining the locket and removing the picture inside slowly. Carefully.

"We'll find him, Cat. He has to be here." Kara whispered soothingly, and pulled Cat gently to her feet, hugging her tightly as Cat sniffled, trying to stop her tears. Cat nodded, and looked around with Kara, at the maze of hallways and rooms around them.

"We have 2 hours. It's 7pm. We don't have time." Cat whispered fearfully, and Kara shook her head harshly, and Cat silenced, watching Kara, watching her eyes shift and dilate ever so slightly, then shift again before repeating the process.

"We will find Carter." Kara said gently, and Cat nodded barely, staying tightly clutched against Kara as she watched, knowing Kara was X-raying the building as best she could, trying to see something. Cat stayed like that with her for minutes, counting down in her head, listening quietly for anything useful. Moving. Shifting. Crying... nothing. Nothing at all. Until Kara quietly whispered one simple word.

"Up." She said, and Cat looked up, then met Kara's eyes in confusion. He's above us. Lex, I mean."

"How do you know?" Cat asked quietly, following right behind Kara as she walked towards a nearby staircase a few rooms down.

"It's the one room I can't X-ray. I've been trying to X-ray the whole building for 20 minutes wondering why I can't, as I walked through here. That room seems... lead proofed. If he wanted you alone, he'd be somewhere I couldn't see you. He clearly expected us to be together because otherwise he would have tried to kill me already. He clearly doesn't mind me being here, so I think he anticipated it. He's above us, so Carter probably will be too."

Cat and Kara quickly ran up the stairs to the next floor and made they're way closer to the lead proofed room.

"Cat wait!" Kara said, stopping Cat a few doors down from the room. "I can't." Kara said, leaning against a wall, breathing roughly.

"What's wrong?" Cat asked, stopping and looking back.

"It's kryptonite, we have to find other way." Kara said quickly, and tried to stand slowly, looking around furiously.

"You stay, I've got this." Cat said, turning to keep going.

"Cat no! You can't do this alone." Kara said, stopping Cat by grabbing her arm, pulling her back gently, making Cat face her.

"I have to, I have no choice. I have one hour left, and if I don't go now we'll run out of time."

"Cat please." Kara begged.

"I have to go." Cat said taking her arm back, and walked to the room leaving Kara behind, who was watching pleadingly.

Cat entered the room and walked inside, noticing just as she walked in the door closed itself behind her. Looking up, at the stars through the glass dome roof, Cat looked around in stunned confusion, at all the clocks. The walls were covered in thousands of clocks all set to 8:03, and then, much to her shock, the floor was a huge clock beneath her, and Cat stepped slowly, onto the glass and gears, her eyes locked on Lex, and Lex alone.

"Well hello hello." Lex said sitting on the floor in front of a chessboard. "What a surprise seeing you here, I didn't know you were coming." He said as he started tapping his fingers on the floor. "Actually no, I knew you'd be here. Why wouldn't you?"

Cat looked at Lex without blinking, but also glanced around the room intermittently, checking everything. The ticking was unnerving her. Seconds counting down. Time running out.

"Time is ticking, Catherine. Tick tock, tick tock..." Lex said quickly, then laughed and looked at her with a grin. "The stars are aligning. When they're all in the right place, the path to your son will be clear."

"What do you mean?" Cat asked softly, unsure what anything he was saying meant. The sight of him also unnerved her. His constant tapping on the marble floor was distracting, and annoying compared with what could only be a thousand clocks.

"Your time is running out." He said with a wild grin, and looked down at his chessboard, with had some perfectly placed pieces. "You better follow the hands of time before your minutes run out. I never had your son. The thing that will lead you to your son has been under your feet this whole time." Lex said, speaking quickly as he tapped his fingers on the floor rhythmically, smiling at her.

Cat looked down at the clock beneath her feet which was stuck at 2:10, and looked back at him. The way he was smiling, hands tapping at the floor, even his elegant but almost too perfect suit... Cat couldn't help but wonder at what exactly he wanted. This seemed... incomplete... even though that made no sense to Cat.

"What?" Cat asked. "What hands of time?" Cat knew her time was running out. She knew she had two hours left. But that didn't clear up what Lex meant. Follow the hands of time? To her son? Cat had no idea.

"Oh look," Lex said quickly with a smirk. "The red capes are coming. The red capes are coming." He said, and looked at Cat again, who was staring at Superman, shocked. "We all know death comes from the sky. Devils come from above, instead of beneath. And him, well," Lex said with a stutter, and shook his head, pointing at Superman, who was glaring angrily. "He's no better. God cannot be all good and all powerful. It's not possible. It's not at all possible, it's one or the other not both. And neither can you be, Catherine Grant."

"And neither you." Cat whispered, her tone a near hiss.

"I hear when you die you see death, in all its many ugly colours. Well, you might want to go find your son before that happens. And by the way, kitty cat, when we began talking, you had and hour left, now, it's less." Lex said, and picked up a counting down timer, and turned it down by 30 minutes, and Cat stared frantically as Lex picked up the two knights off Cat's side of the chessboard, and threw them to the floor, shattering them. "Your knights are down, now it's up to you. A queen can move by herself, can she not? Go find your precious boy, and don't waste your time. You don't have much of it left."

Cat stepped back and stared at the clock again, lost. What the fucking hell did Lex mean? The hands of time? The countdown of it? The ideal of it? What? Cat looked around, at Superman who was watching silently, and then back at the clock, at his shadow over the 2 pm hand. Cat stared for a long moment, sighing, and then gasped, her hands coming to her mouth in shock, and Cat nearly fainted from the realization alone. Hands. Time. Follow.

Cat turned with tearing eyes, and ran. All she could do was run. She barely saw Superman move, and basically ran into Kara the second she was out of the room, who hugged her like she would die without it. And Cat honestly felt like she would as well.

Carter was where she'd been all along. At her house. He'd never left.

"He's at my place, Kara. Please. Now."

"We're going, now."

—

"What the fuck is this?" Cat asked tearfully, angrily, her voice tired but basically a growl of frustration. Arriving at her place, Cat had found her car platform lifted, and underneath the rotating boards, a clock. And now it was messing with her. It had taken them 15 minutes already to try and figure this platform out. They'd tried the time, the direction, a passcode idea, and anything else remotely workable. The floor hadn't budged. Cat brought a hand to her forehead, and looked up at the sky, her mind burning with frustration.

It was only when Kara asked for Carter's birthdate, that Cat paused and thought. Cat spoke softly, and Superman asked for the time he was born. Cat answered, and watched as Kara and Clark looked at each other, then moved to the clock face and shifted the hands, pushing them over slightly one way, then another.

Cat watched in complete confusion, and then stunned silence at the sight of the entire floor moving to adjust, and then lower. Kara reached out and pulled Cat tightly against her, and Cat could only stare in shock as the clock lowered, and revealed a room around them with an unlocked door, slightly opened, and not much else. Cat, hadn't ever seen this floor of her garage before. Didn't know it existed. But right now, could Cat honestly care? Everything in her head was Carter, and only Carter. So much so that Cat forgot any sense of fear and walked straight for the room, ignoring the two Kryptonians silently following behind her in the face of such urgency.

Sliding open the heavy metal door, Cat stopped dead, her eyes falling on Carter, sitting back facing the wall away from her. Slack in a metal chair, tied to it tightly. Barely breathing. Cat stood there shocked for a second, shaking, and then stepped. Which turned into a run. Who wouldn't? For their child? Cat ran, and barely heard Clark behind her. Yelling at her. To stop. Something about a trap. And then all act saw was white and green, and then fire, while red satin and silk enveloped her like a glove. Everything went white, and all Cat sensed was fire. Complete fire. And so much burning.

And then black. Everything went dead, and Cat only felt herself fall, and Kara and Cat as well.


	7. I'd Die For You

Opening her eyes, Cat blinked and lifted her head, looking at the fog and haze around her, wondering what was going on. It took a few seconds for Cat to realize where she was, and then who was around her. Carter. Kara. Clark. Cat pulled herself up onto her elbows, and winced at the pain in her head, feeling like the room was spinning at 10 miles a minute.

Muttering something that made no sense, Cat looked around her at the room, and at everyone in it. Kara and Clark, seemingly lifeless on the floor, Clark on his side and Kara on her stomach. And Carter a few feet from her, bruised and beaten, and... dead. So it looked. Pulling herself to her knees, Cat crawled closer slowly, and placed her hand on Carter's back, and gently shook, hoping for a reaction. Any reaction.

Cat nearly lost it in tears when he didn't respond, and settled on her knees, whispering his name as she shook him, pleading for him to wake up.

"You really thought I would make it that easy for you." Lex laughed through the intercom system. "It was rather funny, how you thought it was Carter."

Cat looked at the boy and realized in shock, that he in fact wasn't Carter, and it calmed her a bit, and Cat wiped at her tears quickly, before going back into her previous sadness and fear, remembering that her time was in fact now over. He time was up, and she'd failed. Now what?

Cat held her hand up, and looked at her nails, confused, feeling an odd pulling on her nails, and looked up as Lex spoke, laughing at[s he did.

"Well well, won't you look at that, our little kitty is in a cage and got declawed."

Cat's heart dropped when she saw her finger nails fall off and land on the floor with a quiet cluttering. Reaching down, Cat tried to pick one up but couldn't, and struggled for a few seconds before she heard Kal speak.

"Get out of here." Kal-El said breathlessly, barely able to form words, and Cat turned her attention to him, finding him reaching for her. "They're coming. You have to leave while you can."

"I can't, not with out Kara and not without you." Cat said as she looked at Kal-El, and took his hand in hers, shook at the weak grip from someone like Superman. She would do everything for Kara and Kal-El. Cat's heart stopped, the hairs on her arms standing on end when she heard someone approaching, rapidly getting closer to the door. Steeling herself, Cat quickly got to her feet, knowing if they were going to escape it had to be now. But she wondered if all of them would, considering Kara's practically lifeless looking body a few feet behind her.

Cat grabbed the whip tied to her hip when she heard the door, and readied herself for what ever would walk through that door. To them Cat was just a girl, just a woman. They couldn't know she was so much more than that. They had never met a woman quit like her, especially after her recent... activities. They were never going to see this coming.

Suddenly two guys burst in the door, causing her to step back a few paces in surprise. Feeling her fear, Cat took a steadying breath at the sight of the one guy pulling out his gun, his eyes expressing only anger at her. Cat instinctively tightened her grip on her whip, unfurling it from it's holster. Cracking the whip, Cat aimed to hit the on the barrel of his gun, but missed and failed to knock it out of his hand, and instead looked at him, contemplating what to do next.

"Aren't you feisty? I'll make sure to take my time killing you." The guy said in a cocky voice, readjusting the gun in his hand.

Cat quickly moved up to him, acting completely on impulse, and ripped the gun out of his hand before he could fully aim it at her, and he looked at her in surprise in response to her quick agility. Cat couldn't resist a quick sly smile, and gasped only when he wrapped his arm at-under her and pulled her against him. Cat gasped, her back landing against his chest, the quick force knocking the breath from her lungs. Cat braced her hands against his, feeling his arm tighten against her neck, and tried to hold her breath and not struggle, while another guy stepped in front of her, clearly intending to trap her and take her out.

Cat looked him over quickly, assessing him mentally. Mmm, possible. Cat looked at him directly, and he stepped closer, and she used all the force she had to lift herself off the ground and kick, managing to get him straight in the stomach, with enough force to make him bend over in pain. Well, stilettos were called killer heels for a reason.

Men really had to learn to not confront a girl in killer heels. But if Cat had to prove it, then so be it. Cat repeated her move, and hit him in the shoulder and head, and at the surprise of her captor, managed to twist her way out of his grip, partly by twisting, partly by biting down on his arm, causing him to cry out in pain for a second.

Cat twisted back and stepped to her feet shakily, and faced him after quickly kicking his gun aside. At the first punch, Cat could only act on impulse, avoiding and reacting. Quickly it escalated into a basic fist fight, and Cat could only be glad she knew a bit of how to fight, otherwise this would be a lot more difficult and she'd basically have no shot whatsoever at winning.

It took Cat a minute, but eventually Cat managed to get the guy against the wall, and managed to land a punch to his head, and another a second later, effectively knocking him to the ground.

Taking a second to breathe, Cat brought a hand to her neck and took a few steadying breaths, gasping for a moment.

"Go, please Cat."

Cat looked over at hearing Kal-El's pleading voice, and shook her head, fully intending to stay, to get them out safely. Nothing would get her away from Kara. Not ever again. Cat looked over at Kara at that, and almost teared up at the sight of her, lying flat on her stomach in the corner of the room, looking pale and severely hurt, and seemingly not breathing.

"Cat, there's many more where those two came from. I know Lex. He has endless henchmen. You need to go while you have a second. I'll protect her while I can, wherever we are."

Cat debated, looking between the two, and sighed sadly, nodding. Tragic, but Cat knew Kal was right. If she stayed, she'd really be done too. And she had to find Carter still, which just brought on a new wave of tears. Cat reached down to take his weak hand, and whispered a quiet thank you, then ran as fast as she could in her heels, making it past trees and into a bush filled corner before finally stopping for air after a moment of running. Cat also called for Alex, and she picked up instantly, sounding frantic.

"I need a discreet way out, Alex. There's people here, and I can't run too far like this. I'm hurt a bit. I need to go back to the mansion. Now."

"Do you have Carter?" Alex asked, and Cat paused for a quick second to gather her emotions.

"No. It was a trap. Carter is... I think Carter is at the mansion. I don't know. Alex, I need to go find my son." Cat said, and hung up when Alex agreed reluctantly, after a quick moment of debate, knowing it was the only choice.

—

"Here take this, it's soaked in chloroform." Alex said giving Cat a thin damp cloth, as Cat scanned the city from the helicopter. New buildings, new skyscrapers. A completely new playground.

After sitting at the DEO for a long hour at Alex's insistence, Cat now figured that Carter wasn't at Lex's mansion after all, as she'd assumed. After the Kryptonians capture, which Cat had tearfully watched, she had assumed Carter would at the mansion. Under her feet, as Lex had told her. But then, sitting at the DEO, Cat wondered if that was just so.

After walking around for a quick moment to try and clear her head, Cat had ended up in a conference room of the DEO, different stuff and rooms giving her a much required distraction. Cat had found a well used chessboard, and had stopped by it, the game talking her through the entire last few days all over again.

After placing a few pieces on it randomly, then adjusting them, Cat had noticed a system, and then Winn had joined her, and adjusted two pieces, and Cat had stopped completely. Carter wouldn't be at the mansion. He'd be wherever Lex was. And Lex would be somewhere where Cat would never look. And according to Winn, and Alex who had come in to discuss as well... he'd be somewhere where Cat would seemingly be barricaded and pushed to her worst. Where Catwoman was considered a criminal.

Gotham City.

Cat was on a helicopter with Alex in minutes, after Winn had quickly given her something he'd been working on for a while since this had started. A mic against her cheek and connected to her helmet, and surprisingly, a new set of claws, much like the first set. And a file downloaded pin for a laptop. Cat had to steel her files, so her if]century would be revealed. That, and Carter.

Now Cat was here, seeing a massive lab in the distance, seemingly biggest skyscraper in the city. Swallowing, Cat turned to Alex and nodded along with her, and let a small smile slip at Alex's grin.

"Go get your son, Catwoman." Alex said with a smirk, and Cat smiled back, nodding, then turning to look over the city again, making sure her cable line was already securely attached to the bar above the helicopter doorway.

"This is as close as I can get you without being detected." Alex said, watching the helicopter settle in a hover several feet over the helipad. Cat stuffed the cloth in her bra, taking a deep breath before sliding to the edge, slipping her legs off the ledge, placing her feet on the bar beneath.

She carefully stepped on the landing gear and turned around to make sure she was properly and securely hooked onto the cable. As soon as she heard it click she grabbed the cable tightly and slipped down to the helipad below, lifting her hand to wave the moment she was surely on her feet.

She unhooked herself from the cable using the claw like decoration on her gloves, and looked at her surroundings. There was a door in the distance, but she knew that it would be heavily guarded, knowing Lex, and her previous thefts. She walked around the corner and saw a vent, approaching it slowly, unsure of what could be nearby. Quickly, she loosened the screws with her nails, smirking at the fact that she was actually using her nails for something like unscrewing nails. Cat popped the cover off, and placed it beside her slowly, leaning it against the wall before crouching to look inside.

Both looking and listening, Cat crouched back on her heels and considered her next move. Clearly the vent would be the easiest situation to get her in, considering the ability of staying easily hidden. But actually getting in the vent, with the drop in front of her, wasn't going to be good to her. Especially in stiletto heels. But what other choice did she have?

Steeling herself, Cat did the only thing she could do. After a quick glance at the city night around her, a new and strange light filled place, she went for it, sliding in feet first. For her son, what else could she do?

When Cat did slow down, somehow landing in a 90 degree curve and quite literally sliding until she settled on her back, Cat could only be grateful for her gradual landing as she looked up and saw the height she'd dropped from. Maybe 30 feet. Straight down. And then a slow curve into a flat vent, where she was currently lying.

Well, under any other situation, Cat would almost find this position, as Catwoman, slightly humorous. But this was so not the time for laughter, and Cat raised up onto her elbows, wondering how exactly to turn around in here.

After managing that contortion, Cat managed her way through multiple vents and rooms, stopping multiple times to listen in on people or security, having stopped to watch security files from a ceiling vent, which was where she was now, watching her boy Carter on the security cameras, and trying not to make a sound at the sight.

He looked so hurt, so damaged. Dead. Cat fought back tears at the sight and focused herself, forcing herself to think about where in this building he could be, and whether he might be still alive.

After a few long moments of watching silently, Cat decided her best move was to stay in the vents. It was safe, secure, and mostly undetectable. It also gave her ample opportunities to go through the entire building and see everyone and everything, without much trouble or risk with being seen or caught.

It was only a few rooms down when Cat stopped again, listening to a few guards, three in total. Stopping, Cat settled over the vents near an opening, and listened to them talk amiably about something related to her. Quickly, Cat could only bring her hand to her lips to try and stifle a laugh, despite the insanity of the situation. Cat wouldn't linger on it now, but it was humorous nonetheless. And yeah, okay... Cat knew she looked good like this...

The suit definitely showed off her curves, and Cat smiled at that part, before going back to her slow moving mission and silently crawling over these guards through the vent system. Under any other situation this would be almost funny, but this wasn't the time. This was Carter time. And he had to be somewhere close by, Cat hoped.

And also that he was alive. Cat could only hope for that. Cat thought about Kara too, and Clark, then stopped at a new noise, and waited, suddenly listening intently for it to happen again. Cat couldn't wait for it to happen again, she needed to go find Carter. Crawling forward she heard the creaking again, she stopped in her tracks when she felt her section of the vent shift under her weight. Cat's heart dropped at the mere thought of the guards right below her, and crawled slowly, consciously. Suddenly she felt herself falling in to the room below, and landed on the one of the three guards, surprisingly softening her fall, slightly stunning her, making her look around her in confusion. Seeing the guards around her, Cat quickly jumped to her feet.

Just as she did the one guard grabbed her from behind, twisting her into a headlock. Cat's breathing quickened as she felt the tight grip on her throat, and instinctively put her hands on his arm around her throat, to try and give herself some room to breathe properly. Cat spotted the other guard coming from the front, and kicked him in the stomach, making him stumble backwards a few steps. Cat switched her focus on the guy behind her, needing to get out of that headlock, she knew she wouldn't have long before the other one would regain his balance and be back on her. Seconds at most. Cat kicked the guy behind her in the balls with the metal heel of her shoe, and he leaned forward in pain with his arm still around her. Cat needed to do something, so she punched him in the face over her shoulder until he let go, making him stumble backwards as soon as he bent. She kicked the guy in front of her again, then quickly turned around and punched him in the stomach causing him to lean forward, which she used to her full advantage by kicking in the head causing him to fall backwards onto a chair and go unconscious, just as she heard the guard the the floor wake up and start to get up.

Cat turned around to see where the other guards were, and didn't realize one was right behind her. Before she could do anything he punched her in the ribs, and she bent over. Just as she did he grabbed her hair and pulled her up into a standing position to face him. Cat brought her hands to his trying to regain some control of the situation.

Hitting her three more times in the face before letting her go, Cat fell to the tile floor instantly with a bleeding mouth and bruises, and grabbed the closest object she could get her hands on and hit him in the legs as hard as she could, effectively knocking him down and out. Cat dealt with the last one and leaned against a railing roughly, and took a few deep breaths, letting herself breathe.

—

Stepping up to the laptops, and endless screens, Cat reached into her pocket and pulled out the tiny black peg, that was supposed to simply stick to the back of the laptop to gather files without notice. Looking it over, Cat quickly reached in behind the screens and placed it to the edge, beside the stand, and smiled when it clicked on like a magnet, and Cat heard Winn say something about files already downloading. Smirking, Cat leaned back and intended to leave, but stopped at the sight of some photos of her displayed on one laptop, and looked over at it, stopping to investigate them, gasping at the clearness of them, and the notes associated with them.

"Winn, are you getting photos? He has portraits of me."

"Yeah, yeah no I'm getting everything. Photos included. Go, go find your son, I have everything covered here."

—

Cat stopped on the railings, crouching down into a kneeling position, maintaining complete immobility as two men popped their head up into a ceiling tile, and looked around quietly. Cat didn't breath, didn't move, and waited patiently as they looked around and then moved, retreating back below. Cat glanced over until the tile was put back in place, and darkness flooded the ceiling again.

Sighing, Cat stopped and looked around, before standing and continuing her walk, making her way room by room through the mansion. Cat was on this for minutes before stopping near a speaker, and listened quietly, swearing she actually had Cat quality hearing, seemingly hearing every pin drop up here.

Cat listened, and gasped when they said Carter looked... broken. And dead. Listening, Cat settled against the wall and crouched to her knees, and waited, assessing the ceiling tiles in front of her. How to lift one and check without grabbing attention... Cat really had no idea.

But it was the only way. Obviously she was near Carter, if they were commenting on what he looked like. Looking up, Cat glanced around and tapped her fingers on her knee in confusion, debating her next move. However this went through, Cat needed the room clear, to get down there. So how would she do that?

After sitting there for a moment, Cat decided that the one smart way to get in there would be to distract the guards in the room, if not others around the mansion. Anything to buy herself time. There was a way of doing that, Cat realized then, smiling, and it was purely genius, considering she was seen and rumoured as Catwoman. Especially in Gotham City of all places.

Picking up the compact portable radio she had taken off the guy earlier, Cat brought it to her lips, flicking it on, and let herself smile almost evilly for a second. At her age and success rate, people had called her a cougar before, and would do so again. Cat didn't so much mind the name, coined after someone's shaky photo of her with a younger man on her arm, a while back.

Well then. If it was in the paper then it had to be true. And if it was true, then it was time for Cat to be the cougar associated with her name so often these days. When Cat raised her voice, a mere whisper against the machinery in her hands, right into the speaker, Cat knew the entire building would hear her. And this... not only would everyone including Lex hear her, but hey would also be hearing a cougar that was out for blood. This kind of roar... it was a quirk Cat had always adored of herself, it was on of her secret little abilities... and now... well, Cat hadn't ever thought she would need that quirk for this. But hey, you learned something new every damn day.

Sitting back, Cat gave it a minute, and looked up, hearing footsteps running quickly, and floorboards creaking, generally a flurry of activity. Cat smiled when Winn questioned whatever she had just done, and Cat smiled slyly before responding in a whisper, bringing the mic closer to her lips.

"Relax, I just want to spook my prey a bit. Before I go in for the kill."

Cat smirked and leaned into the intercom and listened, until she heard quiet silence in the room below, footsteps getting quieter. Deciding now was probably her best bet, Cat settled back and brought her fingernails to the edge of a ceiling tile and lifted it slowly, moving it aside by an inch, and peeking through. Nobody there. Sweet.

Nodding to herself, Cat moved the tile over, and peeked around the room, gasping at the sight of Carter merely 7 feet away, behind a barred cell, covered by a forcefield of sorts.

Looking around carefully, Cat settled herself and dropped down into the room, landing with a crouch on her heels.

Cat ran up to the glass looking forcefield immediately, knowing a guard could come around the corner at anytime to catch her. She didn't have much time to do this. Cat gasped at the sight of her son laying on his side on the cold tile floor, in the corner of the prison cell, looking lifeless. Cat teared up at the sight, and brought a hand to her mouth to cover any noise as she fought to stop crying.

"Carter." Cat whispered, tapping her hands softly on the forcefield in a panic, hoping for a reaction. "Carter please, wake up." Cat begged, trying to hold back the tears at the sight of his blood everywhere, unable to imagine what he must have gone through.

"Winn find me a way in." She said softly but sternly as she looked around for anything to help her get in, to her son.

"To you're right, there should be a panel." Winn said through the earpiece, and Cat looked around. "It should be hidden, and requires a code. I think."

Cat walked back and forth a bit, focusing on the job at hand, and sighed, stopping, before noticing a panel on the other side of the wall, a few feet away. Walking over quietly, Cat looked at it carefully, and Winn spoke in her ear.

"I can hack it. Give me a few seconds. It's a code block system, and that I've done before. It's not that tough."

"Be quick Winn. Carter... he doesn't look..."

"Trust me, Cat. You hired me for a reason. I can do this."

Cat silenced and let him work, and surely enough, a few seconds later, the panel lit up and clicked, and the glass door unsealed and slid open and inch. Cat slid the door open and pushed open the barred door as well, and ran in to her son, stopping inches from him, reaching out to shake him ever so gently, looking over him by every inch, making sure he was alright.

When he moved barely, Cat almost gasped in relief, and kept moving him, until he opened his eyes and looked up. Cat smiled at him, ready to just hug him, her brave brave boy, and he gasped, and tried to shy away.

"Who... who are you?" He asked, fearful, his eyes wide. "Please don't... I can't..."

Cat couldn't resist, the urge to comfort him too strong, and pulled him into a quiet hug, and tried to stop her happy tears at finally having him back safe in her arms. He was practically shaking, his grip weak, even as he tried to push her away, unsure.

"Please don't hurt me anymore... please..." He whispered, and Cat broke the hug and let him sit back a foot, and looked around before turning to face him again, smiling gently.

"It's okay Carter. I'm here to rescue you. You're okay."

"You're... what? Who are you?" He asked weakly. "Do you... work with Supergirl?" He asked then, his eyes shining at the idea. Cat nearly smirked at that, and nodded.

"You could say that." Cat whispered, and reached for her mask, lifting the edge to reveal her face a bit more, and watched his face go from excitement to sheer confusion, to shock, and finally, happiness.

"Mom?" He asked softly, and then smiled. "Mom!"

"Shh. We need to get you out of here. Now." Cat whispered, and quickly hugged him. Her precious boy. "Can you walk, are you alright?"

"I can walk. My arm... is hurt. And I think I have a concussion. But I can walk slowly. You're... how? You're Catwoman?"

"I became Catwoman for you. Come, I need to get you to the DEO. From there we'll be safe." Cat said softly, and Carter nodded before asking what the DEO was.

"Supergirl's friends. Winn's there." Cat said, and Carter smiled at the names.

"Supergirl's there?" Carter asked, like a child on Christmas morning.

"Supergirl is... somewhere." Cat decided, figuring telling Carter the truth, while painful, was best. "She's hurt. She helped me get to you, and she got hurt as a result. But her cousin is with her." Cat quickly reassured, and urged her son up, and on second thought, reached down and picked him up into her arms and moved quickly, carrying him quickly through darkened calls, listening to Winn directing her by earpiece.

It took a moment, but Cat finally got him to the roof, and put him down for a second, letting him lean against her side.

"Winn I need backup. Now. I'm on the south side of the mansion, near the dome. I need a helicopter. Medical help." Cat said, and nodded as Winn approved, and Alex said something quickly in the back round. Cat looked down at Carter and smiled, crouching down to hug him tightly, finally letting the tears fall at having him safely back. Her brave perfect boy, her everything.

Cat finally relaxed a bit, and sighed deeply, feeling her body relax for the first time in the last few days. Finally, Cat felt like she could properly breathe. Or, at least somewhat properly.

One down, two to go. Cat would get Kara and Clark back, if it meant her life. And Lex would pay for all this. He would pay. His life in return for her torture.

Cat's heart stopped at the sound of alarms going off, and tore herself away from hugging her son tightly, as the reality of the situation sank in. They weren't free yet. Looking up, Cat looked around, and crushed Carter lightly against her, protecting him against all costs. Noticing people coming up on staircases, and moving around behind windows searching for her, Cat crouched instinctively and tugged Carter to do the same, and slipped to a wall, and stood flush against it, pulling Carter against her chest, holding him tightly, nodding when he looked up at her worriedly.

Cat looked at him for a second, and stopped when she saw that despite clear worry, his eyes were lit up with light, and hope. And sheer happiness and awe. Cat smiled and ruffled his hair, and walked slowly towards the edge of the wall, and looked around the corner, and pulled back the second she did so, and gasped, feeling a strand of her hair get blown over along with the echo of a bullet. And then yelling. And boots on concrete. Cat stopped, her heart pounding, and clutched Carter's good hand in hers tightly, and nodded at him, cuing him in to the edge of the rooftop.

Adjusting her footing, Cat nodded at Carter and took off, and he followed closely, trying his best, and jumped along with her, landing awkwardly but on his feet, and Cat made her way to the next roof at a run, and then slid to a rough stop at the sight of three men underneath her with guns, and looked both ways quickly, assessing the building, before running and grabbing for Carter's hand. As soon as Carter's hand was in hers, Cat reached forward and extended her wrist, letting the wire extend from her wrist to the closest available building. And wrapped the other end around her wrist as she felt it hook, two steps from the edge of the building. Looking back, Cat saw people 3 feet from her and pulled Carter against her, wrapping her free arm securely around his waist, making sure she had him tight and solidly against her. Cat felt gunshots go past her, and heard bullets ping of buildings, and felt one graze her hip, and one ting off the metal of her boot edge.

Turning her back to cradle him, Cat buried her face against his hair and closed her eyes tightly, praying for a soft landing of any sort. Anything to crash their fall, just not concrete or stone. And here, in this concrete prison of a city, how would it be anything else? What were their chances of a soft landing, really?

When Cat felt a soft landing, softer than she could have imagined it to possibly be, it stunned her and it took her a few seconds to realize she had in fact stopped moving and was still, and that Carter was with her.

Cat opened her eyes slowly, and winced at the bright lights a few meters up, and then saw the brick. It took her a few seconds to register the pain in her arm, and then her boy in her arms, who was raising his head to look around. Cat did the same, and noticed where they were, and then laughed and the silliness of that fact, and smiled when Carter joined her in her laughter, falling back against her chest.

Smiling at her luck, Cat sighed and took a deep relaxing breath, raising her head to look at the mansion in the distance and the people on the roof looking at her general direction but not seeing her. Raising onto her elbows on the emerald green of the Starbucks awning, Cat smirked and looked up as the fabric moved and rustled, and saw a familiar black helicopter slow to a hover nearby but a safe distance up, and then saw a familiar set of trucks stop a block or so away, and saw Alex step out a second later, and smile in her general direction.

Cat smiled at her son, and reached up to ruffle his curly hair. "What do you say we go home now, hmm?"

Carter smiled, and Cat grinned back.

"Yeah." Carter said softly, tired. "I'd like that."

—

Somewhere a few blocks away, on a secluded rooftop amongst vents and rising smoke, Batman watched curiously, assessing the situation, deciding what this meant. This... wasn't the Catwoman he'd seen before, but looked very similar. Slightly less agile though, so it seemed. Also, being chased by many people, so she had to have done something intense.

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Batman watched the event unfold, and decided he'd have to have a further look into this. Something was seemingly active in a building that was usually mostly dead. Something that plainly smelled evil. Whatever it happened to be, if Catwoman was involved, then it had to be big, because he hadn't heard from Catwoman for a long while. Until recent stories came in online of a Catwoman in National City. How very... intriguing. Who was she? And was she good or evil?


End file.
